Rivers, Oyo win cycling gold

Edward Osim of Rivers State and Joke Durogbade of Oyo State got the first gold medals of the 18th National Sports Festival in the 200 metres cycling male and female events held at Eric Moore street, Lagos.

Osim beat Enoruwa Marvis of Ogun and Isa Mohammed of Kaduna to second and third positions with 25 seconds to clinch the first gold medal of Eko 2012.

The first gold medalist of the 18th National Sports Festival, Edward Osim won 13 gold medals in cycling in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State in 2011.

Speaking to sports writers, Osim, who said he was expecting four more gold medals in the remaining cycling event, pointed out to admiration of his fans that he trained harder than expected for the festival events.

In the female category, Joke Durogbade, who won the gold to the surprise of journalists that had earlier tipped Juliet Akaejbu of Rivers State to win medal the gold, thanked God for his miracle and prayed to sustained the tempo for the remaining events. Enajiro Clara of Delta won the Bronze for the 200 metres.

Phillip Okpara of Delta and Onura Madubuchi of Edo crashed out of the 200 metres cycling event in the quarter final.

A cycling technical official, Osaretine Emuze called on other states’ sports commissions to emulate Rivers State in buying modern equipments for their athletes’ to train with.

“States should buy good bicycles. Human beings are good, but equipments are better. The athletes should always train in two-week intervals for better performances. Let me also recommend that governors, their commissioners, ministers should ride on bikes to their various campaign venues; that will enhance the development of cycling in this country”, he said.